Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Tuesday Morning Book Review: Alabama Stitch Book

Alabama Stitch Book Or How to be Hip in LA:

When I visited LA in late May I was amused to see that from Reform School to Fred Segal the big news was the Alabama Stitch Book! We had just received our copies before I left and I hadn't had a chance to see what the excitement was about, but now I too am hip to the Stitch! I think the appeal is that besides being another beautiful, inspiring craft book it focuses on a small town and how one person is trying to revive the now defunct t-shirt capital by bringing back a focus on handmade items using mostly recycled materials.

Giving an overview of Florence, Alabama's past, present and future cotton industry gives a intimate feeling to globalization and what personal toll it can take. That this toll is being recognized and transformed by finding the skilled workers and celebrating their craft feels celebratory and cozy at the same time. I personally thought that using recycled cotton jersey (mostly t-shirts) for most of the projects was wonderful, what more common inexpensive resource is there? So get hip to the Stitch and begin your own t-shirt renaissance!